Five Signs of Slip and Fall Negligence

Posted by: Nov 28, 2017By Steve Roberts

Slip and Fall Negligence Can Lead to Serious Injuries

Slip and falls are one of the leading causes of emergency room visits in the United States. The National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) reports that hospitals admit more than one million people every year due to slip and fall injuries. Slip and fall accidents are also a major problem in the state of Colorado. The official Injury in Colorado report shows that falls are the leading cause of hospitalizations for several different age groups.

Colorado businesses and property owners have a legal duty to take measures to reduce the risk of a slip and fall accident. If negligence caused your accident, you may be able to hold the property owner liable. Though, for injured victims, it can often be difficult to know whether or not negligence actually played any role in the accident. To help bring clarity to this issue, our Denver slip and fall accident attorney has put together a list of five of the most common signs of negligence.

1. Wet or Slippery Floors

Wet and slippery walking surfaces are among the leading causes of serious slip and fall accidents. If you slipped due to a wet floor, that is a sign that negligence caused your accident. At the very least, you owe it to yourself to get a full investigation of your slip and fall accident. Floors and walkways become slippery for many different reasons. Sometimes there was little that the business or property owner could have done to fix the problem. However, most of the time, the risk of a slippery floor is foreseeable. When a danger is foreseeable that means that a manager or property owner could have taken action that might have prevented the accident.

2. Damaged Flooring or Walkways

If you believe that a damaged floor or walkway caused you accident, that is a strong indicator that you were a victim of negligence. Property owners have a legal duty to repair damaged flooring without any undue delay. Of course, immediate repairs are not always possible. So, in the interim period Colorado businesses and property owners should block off and clearly mark damaged areas so that passersby can avoid the risk. Notably, Colorado businesses and property owner are legally responsible for maintaining both indoor and outdoor walking areas.

3. Clutter or Debris Left in Walking Surfaces

Walking surfaces should always be clear of any clutter and random debris. If you tripped over an unseen extension cord that was haphazardly strung through a hallway, it’s likely negligence. The person who was responsible for the property should have taken steps to ensure that you, as a customer or invited guest, could have walked through a standard walking path without facing injury risk from random clutter or debris.

4. Broken or Inadequate Lighting

Not all signs of slip and fall accident negligence are on the floor. Another common warning sign that indicates negligence is poor lighting. This is a large problem in stairwells and other places that can become extremely dark. Businesses and property owners have a duty to ensure that lights are both adequate and repaired in a timely manner. Law requires them to protect people from the safety risks posed by poor lighting.

5. Lack of Warning Signs

Finally, if a Denver slip and fall accident caused serious injuries, you should also be sure to take a look at what type of warnings signs (if any) there were in the accident location at the time that you fell. There will be times in Colorado businesses when floors are somewhat wet or when areas have some temporary debris in them. Property owners must mark these areas with obvious warning signs. To be clear, putting up a warning sign does not necessarily free a property owner from being liable for a slip and fall accident. Though, the lack of an adequate warning sign strongly suggests negligence.

Contact Our Colorado Premises Liability Attorney Today

At the Law Office of Steve Roberts, LLC, our top-rated Colorado premises liability have extensive experience slip and fall accident claims. To set up your free, fully confidential consultation please call us today at (720) 515-7058. From our office in downtown Denver, we serve communities throughout the region, including in Jefferson County and Adams County.

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About the Author

Steve Roberts

Steve Roberts is the managing attorney at the Law Office of Steve Roberts, LLC. Steve is originally from Omaha, Nebraska. After law school in Southern California, he moved to Denver, Colorado where he has developed his personal injury practice and become part of the Colorado legal community as a member of the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association and the Thompson G. Marsh Inn of Court. Read More